Endgame guide
Opposition in King and Pawn Endgames
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Opposition is one of the central tools in king-and-pawn endings, but it is not a verdict by itself. It describes a relationship between the kings. Pawn tempi, key squares, spare moves and the edge of the board determine whether taking the opposition actually wins or draws.
Direct opposition
When the kings face each other on a rank or file with one square between them, the side that is not to move holds the direct opposition. The side to move must give way. That can let the other king advance, but the consequence depends on where the pawn and board edge are.
King in front, pawn behind
As a practical default, put the king in front of a non-rook pawn and keep the pawn as a reserve tempo. Key squares make the rule precise. For a White pawn on ranks 2–4, the three key squares lie two ranks ahead on its file and the two adjacent files; from the fifth or sixth rank, they lie one rank ahead. Mirror that pattern for Black. If the attacking king securely reaches one of those key squares against a lone king, promotion can be forced regardless of whose turn it is. The rook-pawn edge case still needs separate treatment.
The rook-pawn exception
An a- or h-pawn has no squares beyond the edge with which to outflank the defending king. If the lone defender reaches the promotion corner in front of that pawn, king and rook pawn against king is drawn: the attacking king cannot drive it out without stalemate.
Use opposition when simplifying
Before exchanging into a pawn ending, reconstruct the resulting king positions and ask who moves. Then check the relevant key squares and remaining pawn tempi. Opposition is often the mechanism that decides the race, but distant opposition, a spare pawn move or a rook-pawn edge case can reverse a slogan-based answer.
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